ROSES BHT231

How to Grow, Propagate, Care for and use Roses.

Looking to enter the field of rose growing or to further your career potential?
Then further your knowledge with this unique and comprehensive rose growing course, aimed at both professionals and amateur growers.

The value of rose blooms extends beyond the ornamental garden; roses are grown for many reasons including: the cut flower trade, for perfume extraction, to harvest the hips and for rose oil. This course covers all these aspects and much more. Learn the history of the rose, the confusing rose classification system, how to identify the different species, their general cultural needs (soils, pests and disease management and pruning), how to use roses in garden design and how to produce a commercial rose crop.

Roses, often referred to as 'The Queen of the Garden', are one of the most popular and prized ornamental plants. They are included in the greatest gardens in the world and many claim roses to be the most beautiful flower in existence.

This course could set you on the path to success.

Home Studies Course -How to Grow Roses

Are you passionate about roses; or interested in working with roses; perhaps growing cut flowers, or maybe in breeding, propagating or landscaping?

If this sounds like you; this course could be ideal.

Course Structure

There are eight lessons as follows:

Introduction
Culture
Propagation
Hybrid Teas & Floribundas
Old world, species and lesser known varieties.
Climbers, Miniatures, Standards & Weepers
Making the Best Use of these Plants
Growing A Commercial Rose Crop

Aims

Learn to do the following:

Distinguish between characteristic plant features in order to identify different types of roses.
Determine cultural practices for growing roses in different situations.
Perform all operations associated with pruning roses.
Distinguish between the culture of different types of roses, including hybrid teas, floribundas and species rose groups.
Plan the establishment of a rose garden.
Plan the production of a commercial rose crop.

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

You will learn a wide variety of things, through a combination of reading, interacting with tutors, undertaking research and practical tasks, and watching videos. Here are just some of the things you will be doing:

Distinguish between the morphology of different groups of roses.
Compile a resource collection of thirty contacts to assist with identification of roses.
Prepare a collection of 32 photographs or illustrations of rose varieties.
determine how to grow roses in your locality, detailing:
- soil preparation
- planting
- fertilising
- staking
- watering in
Describe how to propagate roses, using various techniques including:
- Grafting
- Budding
- Layering
- Seed
Identify the pests and diseases afflicting rose plants.
Differentiate between the culture and use in the garden of different types of roses, including:
- climbers
- miniatures
- standards
- bush roses
Differentiate between the culture of roses in a greenhouse, and in the open ground.
Distinguish between the pruning of climbing, ramblers, bush, miniature and standard roses,
Compare the culture and application of Hybrid Teas, Floribundas and Polyanthas in a garden or nursery visited by you.
Determine appropriate rose varieties to be included in a proposed rose garden, in accordance with given
specifications.
Prepare a plan for a rose garden including:
- Scale drawings
- Plant lists
- A materials list
- Cost estimates.
Develop criteria for selecting rose varieties to grow as a commercial crop, for a specified purpose.
Evaluate rose flowers offered for sale.
Determine factors which are critical to the production of various rose products, such as:
- Cut flower roses
- Rose hip syrup
- Rose oil
- Dried rose petals
- Nursery stock roses.

Scope

Roses are one of the most popular ornamental plants in a garden, valued highly for their blooms which many would claim are the most beautiful flowers in existence.

Roses are grown for many reasons, including:

as a cut flower
as a landscape specimen (garden plant)
for perfume extraction

Rose culture deals with living things and there are many variables involved; not only the environmental and soil conditions, but also the type of rose grown, and the treatment it is exposed to.

A Potted History of Rose Cultivation

The oldest garden roses are hybrids or ‘sports’ of species roses that originated from the Middle East and Europe from as far back as the 13^th century. Up until the mid 1800’s the range of varieties was very limited and there was not a great deal of controlled hybridizing done on plants (it was the work of the farmer breeder (animals) that greatly influenced later work in plant breeding).

Controlled hybridizing of roses began at the beginning of the 19^th century. The roses that were selected and bred during this time were determined by what was the fashion of the day (much as it is now). For example quartered roses were out of favour in the beginning of the 20^th century, only to make a return many years later with the much loved David Austin hybrids (collectively known as ‘The English Rose’). New varieties that arose before controlled hybridizing began were the result of chance crosses, or chance mutations known as ‘sports’.

The hybrid perpetual rose became the favourite rose during the mid 1850’s and was often referred to as the ‘Rose of England’. The two rose types (Hybrid and Perpetual) were not known as separate species until 1884 and then began to achieve some popularity as bedding plants (roses were adapted through pegging to achieve this). Hybrid Perpetual roses were derived from a Portland x China hybrid ‘Rose du Roi’ of 1816. This rose was then crossed with Bourbon and China varieties giving rise to thousands of vigorous, repeat flowering varieties. By the end of the 1900s the production of new Hybrid Perpetual roses declined.

Hybrid Tea roses (also known as Large Flowered roses) were the last of the major nineteenth century groups to evolve; they remain a most important group today. In around 1884 Hybrid Tea roses were finally recognised as being a separate class. The first member of the class was ‘La France’, a cross between a Hybrid Perpetual (‘Madame Victor Verdier’) and a Tea rose, (‘Madame Bravy’) – it was raised by Guillot in 1867. The first members of the Hybrid Tea class were almost sterile making cross breeding difficult. Later fertile Hybrid Teas were bred and from these many new varieties emerged. In the 20^th century breeding programs progressed and produced roses with a diverse range of colours and form and improved health.

The Floribunda (Cluster Flowered) rose is the result of marrying a Hybrid Tea with the Hybrid Polyantha rose. It sounds quite simple these days but in reality took many years to achieve. In the 1860’s the R. multiflora (now used mainly as a rootstock) was introduced to Europe. From this species evolved a climbing rose and one of a dwarf form. It was the dwarf form, when crossed with a dwarf pink China Rose that produced the Polyantha Hybrids – roses with clusters of small flowers.